This is Gilliagns Island

Gilligan’s Island
After my sleeping bus episode, I was bussed out as I have covered nearly half of Laos by bus in 24 hrs. I needed to rest. I stopped at Pakse but to be honest there was really nothing there. I had a nice big room with a great breeze flowing through but had to move on the first thing the next day. It was to a place they call the 4000 Islands. It is literally thousands of Islands and sand bars that rest in the Mekong River, and during the rainy season about half of then disappear. So a lazy 2000 islands go underwater. One such Island “Don Det” manages to stay above the water line all year round. You arrive by boat from the mainland and the first thing I see is a huge water buffalo lying on the sand. You step around him and you are in the town which goes for about 100 metres. As you look for accommodation you realise that this place is quite primitive these Laotians have been like this for hundreds of years. My hut has a large balcony with a hammock overlooking the Mekong where long tailed boats go up and down and the odd fisherman drifts pass. I am sitting in a restaurant writing this blog on the river as we speak. There are no cars on the Island just a few motor cycles and push bikes available to hire everywhere for a dollar a day. There are waterfalls, and sunsets to die for here and your hut is $3.20 (Aussie Dollars) per night. Food is incredible, particularly breakfast, rice dishes and fruit. The very first tourist only set foot here about 10 years ago. I kind of hope they don’t spoil it. One of the attractions here are the fresh water dolphins that can be seen from the nest Island. You are lucky to sight them and don’t expect a show like at Seaworld.
There are two weddings here today and the music is incredibly loud, and heaps of the local “Beerlao” is being consumed.
Last night I got up at about 2 am to go to the toilet and went down the stairs with my eyes barely opened and just turned on my torch and there not more than half a metre away was this water buffalo. I quickly woke up and the water buffalo must of got a fright seeing me (no comment please) so he took off leaving dust in his wake.
This place is not for the faint-hearted. There is no hot water, squat toilets, no electricity and the shower water comes straight out of the Mekong. They have generators from 6pm to 10pm so you have lights for 4 hrs only. If you need to recharge something like your phone or camera, then you bring it to the restaurant and it charges while you eat. And girls, sorry no hairdryers, unless you want to literally stand in the middle of a restaurant and dry your hair anytime during 6pm and 10pm.